Storm Warning: Calm Before the Storm — Tuesday
Matthew 7:24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (NIV)
Throughout the midst of my cockroach infestation (if you missed the story, you can check out yesterday’s devo), I also found myself faced with several tough situations. From going through a tough breakup to grieving a few closed doors, my apartment just seemed to be the cherry on top in a comedy of errors. And while each of these different circumstances may not have been life-threatening or anything out of the ordinary on the surface, over time, they started weighing on my heart so heavily that I felt like I was walking around with a literal ache in my chest.
I remember crying out to the Lord. If someone were to eavesdrop on my conversations with God, they’d probably hear something like this: “Lord, I love You. I am so tired of life beating me down. And even though I am so frustrated and so exhausted, I still love You more than ever. Please draw close to me. Please heal my heart. Please carry this weight.”
The beautiful and, honestly, miraculous thing about having Christ as our foundation is that we can go to Him with everything. When the storms come, we can run to Him. Whether we’re broken, tired, angry, empty, weighed down… He is there. He listens. And He cares. I’ll be the first to tell you that my walk with Christ is far from perfect. All I know to do is find shelter in Him—not just when life is good, but when life gets hard, too.
I find myself in the posture of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ robe to receive healing (Luke 8:43-48). I cling to the hem of my Savior’s robe. I cling to my Savior. When all other ground is sinking sand, there is no anchor like our Jesus.
Tuesday’s Reflection
What is weighing you down? What storms do you feel like you’re “weathering”? Nothing is too big or small for Jesus. Ask Him to draw near to you, and run to Him today.